Raising funds, protecting a territory development project, organizing the work of employees is not a start-up startup scheme, but a sequence of actions by volunteers who are trying to restore the extinction of the Amur leopards. About how it was possible to save the population of rare cats, in an interview guide told CEO ANO "Far Eastern Leopards" Elena Gangalo.
GUIDE: The Far Eastern Leopards Foundation was created to stop the decline in the number of these cats, which at some point reached a critical point. What are the basic principles of the fund?
ELENA GANGALO: Let's first of all remember how it all began! In 2010, a threatening situation arose in the Primorsky Territory with the number of the Amur leopard, a graceful and noble predator, unique for Russia and rare for the entire planet. According to scholars' estimates, beginning of XXI century there are about 30-35 individuals left, which is the minimum limit of the survival of the species. In order to prevent the worst, probably one of the most ambitious domestic environmental projects to save this unique animal. With the support of the country's leadership, biologists, public figures and ordinary volunteers, an autonomous non-profit organization The Eurasian Center for the Conservation of Far Eastern Leopards, or, as we call it, the Far Eastern Leopards Foundation.
The fund's work is based on a strategy for the formation of effective environmental programs aimed at maintaining and developing the population of Far Eastern leopards, their financial assessment and collecting donations for further implementation.
The staff of the foundation are mostly volunteers. All the main activities are carried out in the Far East, but we also have an office in Moscow: it only works to coordinate the activities of volunteers, raise funds and generate financial statements.
It is important to note that in its activities the Foundation actively cooperates with the federal state budget institution"Joint Directorate of the State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Kedrovaya Pad" and the National Park "Land of the Leopard"" located in Vladivostok. This institution is a platform for the implementation of the fund's initiatives. It's a kind of symbiosis volunteer movement and bodies state power. In my opinion, the ideal model for building a civil society.
G: How is the fund formed and for what main purposes is the money allocated?
E. G.: It all starts with the formation of a program of events. The reserve, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the scientific community, various public environmental organizations send us their proposals. After that, we form a program of environmental protection measures, draw up a preliminary cost estimate, and submit this kind of budget for consideration by the Fund's Supervisory Board.
In the structure of our budget, we allocate funds for the following areas of expenditure: biotechnical activities (this is support forage base leopard), infrastructural development of the territories of the reserve, protection of the lands of the national park and the fight against poaching, fire-fighting measures, scientific research and development of a professional knowledge base, advanced training personnel, environmental education among the population.
I would also like to say that all tangible and intangible property, which is acquired in the interests of implementing our environmental programs, we transfer free of charge to the ownership of the national park. Well, then the national park for own funds and funds federal budget maintains its funds.
We are not in a hurry and do not set ourselves the task of redoing everything at once - by attracting sufficient financial resources, our programs have quite long-term prospects: by implementing some of them today, tomorrow we get a great strategic effect.
G: It's no secret that you are really supported high level. Tell us about your benefactors.
E. G.: As I said, the Far Eastern Leopards project is a product of modern civil society. Figuratively speaking, administrative and financial resources converge here at one point. The funds of the fund are completely private investments legal entities. It all started with 50 million rubles, which we collected with great difficulty - you know, for us it was a truly huge amount. The main donors of the project were large federal companies, such as Gazprom, Gazprombank, Sogaz insurance company, Sberbank of Russia, Rosselkhozbank, Rosatom, Renova Group - this is very large companies, who have their own very successful charitable programs, but at the same time they expressed a great interest in realizing the goals of the foundation.
When receiving financial tranches, we and our benefactors necessarily coordinate all our environmental initiatives and, before we start spending their money, we defend the project, provide cost estimates, a list of activities, and argue the results to be achieved.
We have to work very closely with philanthropists. It just won't work to get money. First, it is necessary to prove that this money is enough - and no more, and no less. Secondly, as I said, they need to be accountable. Thirdly, everyone wants success, no one wants to just hand out money. Partners want to show that they support the project within the framework of social responsibility.
G: Do you collect private donations?
E. G.: While there is no need. Today we have a stable fund - expenses and incomes, one might say, are balanced. Sponsors are practically not reduced or added. We are not in the business of raising money. The main goal is to increase the number of animals and preserve the population. And since the number has already increased enough, funds are needed only to support the population.
But, despite this seemingly favorable factor, the Far Eastern leopard is still vulnerable. The fact is that the threshold of its maximum density has been reached. The territory of the national park has become too small for such a number of individuals, and do not forget that although this is the "Land of the Leopard", there is another representative of large cats here - His Majesty the Amur tiger. So the pressure on the environment is more than serious. The epidemiological problem follows from the territorial problem. Due to the fact that feline migration paths often cross, it is possible to transmit various infectious diseases, such as canine distemper, etc. Last year, this already led to the death of one animal, and if urgent measures had not been taken, the disease could have spread to others. individuals. After all, the population is highly localized and this can lead to its complete extinction. Do not forget about inbreeding, closely related relationships that lead to mutations and death of the species. So, the issue of territories is very acute, and, unfortunately, it cannot be solved for money yet.
G: How can the issue of territory be resolved?
E. G.: In our opinion, there are two ways to solve this problem. The first is an increase in the area of the national park by adding new lands. And some work is being done here. I would like to note that the initiative comes not only from the fund. So, quite recently, a former big banker contacted us. He owns a large number of land in the territories adjacent to the national park, they have remained since the 1990s. He was very interested in our project, he got acquainted with its problems and offered to donate to us the lands that belong to him by right of ownership. There would be more such decent people.
In addition, there is a bold project to join new territories, as we say, on the other side of the Ussuri federal highway. The fact is that the main barrier to the independent settlement of the Far Eastern leopard is the road that runs between the lands of the national park and the Ussuriysky nature reserve. The problem can be solved by building the so-called eco-ducts - a kind of eco-bridges for animals. But this is a very expensive project, and without federal support, the foundation cannot manage it alone. Although we have some experience in this matter: not so long ago we participated in a similar project for the construction of an ecological tunnel in the Khasansky district of Primorsky Krai - everything is much more complicated here.
The second way is reintroduction. This is the creation of closed populations in a territory remote from the main one. For example: a pair is taken or several pairs are taken from nature or a zoo, offspring are obtained, brought up in a special way, integrated into the natural environment and released for further offspring, etc. But there are more questions to this program than answers. This is a long implementation period, a high risk of death of resettled animals, high financial costs, lack of sufficient experience.
G: Does the Foundation work with scientists, social activists and other like-minded people?
E. G.: Yes, of course, we are in constant contact with them. Our great friends are specialists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after V.I. A. N. Severtsov of the Russian Academy of Sciences: they constantly advise us on issues of feline ecology, for which they thanks a lot. Plus, we interact with the regional authorities, our issues are actively dealt with by the regional administration, the governor, the deputy governor in charge of the environmental sphere. Employees of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, the administration of the President of the Russian Federation help.
There is a huge help from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. For the first time in Russia, the Primorsky Territory Police Department has created a department that deals specifically with the suppression of offenses in the field of environmental protection.
The Far Eastern Leopards project is a real community of like-minded people. This is a result-oriented team. Representatives of different professions work for us: biologists, mathematicians, teachers, builders, military men, journalists, financiers, businessmen, civil servants - in short, the entire section of society. We are represented in in social networks, the organization's website is maintained, we interact with bloggers, hold scientific debates, conferences, organize environmental festivals.
Such multifaceted cooperation sometimes helps a lot. Recently, during the construction of one auxiliary facility, it was necessary to urgently divert water from the site at the construction site. A typhoon passed, and entire rivers filled with water. We started looking for an organization that could quickly do this - everyone was busy plus remoteness, nothing worked. It turned out that the volunteer had his own company, and they had an old excavator in their fleet. They quickly assembled him with the whole team, and already in the morning the old man cheerfully worked for the benefit of our leopards, and completely disinterestedly. Difficulties often arise, but people always heartily respond to our requests, and, as a rule, no one remains indifferent. In general, strangers come and ask what and how, how to help, they say that they learned about the project from the Internet, and there are a lot of stories.
G: At first glance, the main tasks of the fund seem to be the protection of leopards from poachers and the provision of food for cats. What are the other problems?
E. G.: Reducing anxiety factors. This is a very serious, one might say, complex of issues. In the habitats of the leopard there are settlements with a large number of inhabitants. The creation of a national park required a change in the legal status of these territories, which completely affected the ways in which economic activity. People who are traditionally accustomed to eating the gifts of nature, suddenly received restrictions associated with the presence in the forest. You can not pick berries, mushrooms, in order to enter the reserve, you need to get permission. You can’t light a fire, you can’t go ashore, catch fish, hunt. In general, a whole range of restrictions was created. No one objected to the protection, but hunting is a tradition of these people. And there are many hunters in the Far East, as well as weapons in families, because these are mostly former military, naval people. I had to intensify work in terms of environmental education, build very complex negotiations with hunting farms, farmers, and tourist organizations. As a result, it was possible to convince people to properly dispose of the gifts of nature in order to preserve all this beauty for future generations.
In addition, active prevention of forest fires is being carried out. The forest is the habitat of the leopard. He, like any cat, likes to lead a secretive lifestyle. Deforestation dramatically affects the population. To do this, we conduct specialized trainings with rangers, where experienced firefighters tell how to prevent and extinguish a fire. Territories are still plowed up, mechanisms of interaction with the Ministry of Emergency Situations are being worked out.
A lot of time is devoted to the fight against vectors of all kinds infectious diseases, which one way or another can threaten the health of the rarest large cat on the planet. We actively interact with the academic environment. This year, a new medical laboratory for the study of biological materials was put into operation at the expense of the foundation. Research is underway in the field of cryofreezing technology for the genetic materials of the Far Eastern leopard. So that in the event of a cardinal threat to the species, genetic materials remain for the artificial reproduction of the population - this is simply fantastic. Thus, we insure the population for all occasions.
Well, traditionally, as you said, the work to combat poaching has not been forgotten. Moreover, thank God, cases of leopard poaching have sunk into the past. There are serious penalties for this. But cases of hunting ungulates - the basis of the diet of leopards - no, no, and yes, they do happen. The reaction to these cases is always harsh: large administrative fines, confiscation of weapons, public censure, and sometimes criminal punishment. The police actively help us in this. About 200 people work in the Land of the Leopard National Park, and almost half are security guards. They are armed with modern technology, cross-country vehicles, ATVs, means of communication and covert surveillance, unmanned aerial vehicles, uniforms.
G: Security recruited from the locals?
E. G.: Yes, there were no problems with this. There were also military units standing around - there are a lot of former military personnel. And the national park is not the worst enterprise. The Foundation decided to additionally motivate rangers financially, and in the following way: they have special devices of the GLONASS system, and the more a person walks around the territories, the more he gets. If he does not walk, lies on the stove in the lodge, he does not receive anything. The area of the park is about 280 thousand hectares, the length is about 30 km. Plus, it is difficult to pass: you can’t go everywhere by car, especially if it’s snowing. Many people think that this is like a safari in Africa, but in fact there is even a worse story - ticks, snakes, mosquitoes, aggressive nature, rugged terrain, predators, high hills.
G: In addition to the physical protection of animals, you also carry out educational work, in which, for example, Aeroflot, Russian Railways and other companies help you.
E. G.: Yes it is. They mainly participate not financially, but by popularizing the topic itself: they paint their aircraft, wagons in the subway, trains. Environmental education is quite an important area. And here Special attention to children. It is difficult to involve adults in issues of environmental intelligence, but children are very susceptible to this. We spend not only a lot of material resources, but also efforts: we have a whole department in the park, which is called "Eco-enlightenment". They hold various kinds of quizzes, seminars, olympiads in schools, produce cartoons, coloring books with animals. We focus specifically on the territory of Primorye, so that the younger generation realizes that it is necessary to protect nature, sometimes even limiting own desires.
G: Do you have foreign partners?
E. G.: Foreigners did not believe that the number of leopards could be restored so quickly. Six years - and here it is, victory. Recently arrived from the United United Arab Emirates- Their scientists liked everything very much, they asked if we needed money for the development of the project, how they could help.
The theme of big cats is traditionally popular in the East, as a rule, high-ranking people surrounded by a sheikh deal with these issues. We politely thanked them for their visit and flattering offers, but refused financial support.
We are actively working on issues of international cooperation, the main direction of this cooperation should be the exchange of biotechnologies to ensure support for large feline populations. Joint research work. It's generally unique project There are no more such people in the world, in my opinion.
G: Maybe we should think about developing a full-fledged tourism cluster?
E. G.: Tourism should develop, there is certainly such an issue on the agenda. This is a huge incentive to involve the local population of protected areas in the conservation environment. Let people do business, exploit green technologies for their own benefit, divert them from the primitive income of poaching. But tourists need infrastructure, good roads, hotels, parking lots, restaurants, utilities. And all this, as you understand, requires large investments, and this is already beyond the competence of the fund.
But to a small extent, we are still developing this direction: with our direct support in the village of Barabash, Khasan district, a small visitor center was built to receive tourists and an ecological trail about 2 km long was equipped. Walking along which visitors will be able to get acquainted with the nature of Primorsky Krai, breathe in the fresh taiga air, learn all the beauty of our nature.
ANO "Far Eastern Leopards"
Autonomous non-profit organization (ANO) "Far Eastern Leopards" was established in 2011. Its main goal was to study, preserve and restore the population of the then endangered Amur leopard. Already in 2012, at the initiative of this organization, the National Park "Land of the Leopard" was established in Primorye. In 2013, with the participation of ANO Far Eastern Leopards, an amendment was made to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provides for criminal punishment for illegal hunting, keeping, transportation and sale of especially valuable wild animals, including the Far Eastern leopard.
The supreme collegial governing body of ANO "Far Eastern Leopards" is the supervisory board, its chairman is the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation for environmental protection, ecology and transport, Sergei Ivanov.
The main goal of the organization is to completely secure the population of the Far Eastern leopard and increase its population to 150 individuals. ANO "Far Eastern Leopard" actively cooperates with the national park "Land of the Leopard" and the reserve "Kedrovaya Pad", in the territories of which the main part of the population of the Far Eastern leopard lives. In particular, the organization helps in the fight against the main factors that threaten this rare cat - poaching and forest fires. Also, under the auspices of the ANO, activities are carried out aimed at maintaining the food base of the Far Eastern leopard - wild ungulates. In addition to protecting the predator and protecting its habitat, Far Eastern Leopards support scientific projects implemented in the Land of the Leopard National Park, as well as hold press conferences, round tables, organize exhibitions and other media events to popularize the idea of protecting the rare spotted predator.
Interviewed by Kira Vasilyeva
The business complex "Noah's Ark", located in the Central District of Moscow, and the autonomous non-profit organization "Far Eastern Leopards" entered into an office lease agreement. The transaction was carried out with the help of brokers consulting company Bright Rich | CORFAC International.
The move of the tenant company was due to the need to improve the current working conditions. ANO "Far Eastern Leopards" turned to Bright Rich specialists | CORFAC International with a request to find suitable office. In the course of the search, the advantageous location of the building in the historical center of the city, not far from the historical area of the Kitaigorod fortress wall, became a priority factor in favor of placing it in the Noah's Ark business center.
ANO "Far Eastern Leopards" is engaged in the study, conservation and restoration of the Far Eastern leopard population within its historical habitat in the Russian Far East. The organization conducts comprehensive activities to protect, support and protect the endangered predator. It also actively cooperates with the Land of the Leopard National Park and the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve, helps in the fight against poaching and forest fires, and carries out activities aimed at maintaining the food base of the Far Eastern leopard - wild ungulates.
Business Center "Noah's Ark" is a business complex located in close proximity to the metro station "Kitay-Gorod". It attracts tenants with a prestigious location in the historical center, a presentable baroque facade and a thoughtful layout of office spaces. Convenient access to the business center is ensured thanks to the nearby Tverskaya street and Moskvoretskaya embankment. A 10-minute drive along free roads is the Garden Ring. The building was commissioned in 2007 and meets all international standards for class A offices. Modern engineering systems are installed in the business complex: ventilation and air conditioning, as well as remote control technical systems. Security is provided by electronic access control and video surveillance cameras, in addition, the facility is constantly guarded, and access to the territory is carried out through a checkpoint.
Spotty results of the year
Friends, tomorrow we will see off this year and wish each other happiness, success and good luck in the new year. But before the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, let's remember the brightest and most interesting events of the outgoing year.
This year was the Year of Ecology in our country, and, of course, we could not stand aside: starting from January, we held actions and events dedicated to the Far Eastern leopards, and also drew attention to the problems of ecology and the conservation of Russia's unique animals. We held the exhibition "Eco-Treasures of Russia" in State Duma, participated in the fourth all-Russian festival "Pristine Russia". organized public lesson at the school, where they told the students about the amazing rescue of the Leo 80M leopard, and also introduced the children to the work of preserving the Amur leopard population.
At the end of February, the leopard "stood on the wing" - the image of the muzzle of the rarest cat on the planet adorned the Boeing 777-300 of Rossiya Airlines. Leolet, as the airline staff dubbed the plane, now flies all over the country, and adults and young passengers are happy to take pictures with it and learn that leopards live not only in Africa, but also in the Russian Far East.
Another "drawn" leopard adorned the wall - the image of the Far Eastern predator appeared on the observation platform of the Eagle's Nest hill in Vladivostok. We carried out this action together with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The graffiti was created by South African artist Sonny as part of his To The Bone project. The new attraction has already managed to catch the fancy of residents and guests of the seaside capital. If you are in Vladivostok, do not miss the chance to take a selfie with a leopard.
On August 27, we invited everyone to a big spotted holiday - "Leopard Day" was held in the Moscow park "Krasnaya Presnya". The event was attended by 30 thousand people. Sports and culinary master classes, a concert and an exciting quest with prizes were organized for the guests. By the way, the main award was the right to name a nameless leopardess. The female number Leo 54F received the beautiful name Bela.
In addition to Bela, four more leopards have received names and guardians this year. Leopardess Leo 73F received the name Leia from her keepers - the Primorochka volleyball club. Also on the "Land of the Leopard" appeared Aurora, Manchurian and Katyusha.
In September, the Eastern Economic Forum was held in Vladivostok for the third time. As part of the event, a traditional run to protect Red Book cats was held and a charity auction was held in support of projects to protect endangered and rare species of animals in the Far East.
The first anniversary was celebrated by the National Park "Land of the Leopard". The house of a rare cat is five years old. Through the joint efforts of inspectors, scientists, volunteers and local residents, this specially protected natural area flourishes. This year, a new ecological route “The Leopard Path” was opened in the national park, the construction of the central estate was completed, on the territory of which largest center conservation of the Far Eastern leopard.
Unfortunately, there was some sad news. In 2017, Yuri Borisovich Shibnev, the oldest employee of the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve, a connoisseur of the nature of the Far East, a photographer who authored the first pictures of the Far Eastern leopard in wild nature.
During photo monitoring in the Land of the Leopard National Park, scientists received several unique shots at once. At the beginning of the year, for the first time, the camera filmed the passage of a spotted predator through the Narvinskaya Pass along a new route: the leopard, ignoring the noise of the route, crossed it along the first ecological tunnel in Russia.
Spy equipment in the Kedrovaya Deep Reserve filmed a well-known inhabitant of the territory of Bury with kittens. This brood was the first for the "dancing" leopardess. The kittens were also brought by Steven Seagal's "goddaughter" - a female named Borte.
For the first time, the love games of spotted predators were captured on video, and a recording of the voice of the Far Eastern leopard in the wild was also obtained. The owner of "Kedrovaya Pad" - Typhoon - demonstrated his vocal skills.
Curious shots were taken by specialists in the northern part of the national park - here, on the same trail, on different days, a camera trap filmed a Far Eastern leopard, an Amur tiger, a lynx and a Far Eastern forest cat. And later unique footage were made at one of the grottoes - it was chosen by two big cats at once: a leopardess with the number Leo 83F and a male Amur tiger. Red Book predators were filmed at the entrance to the "communal" cave with a difference of five days. It seems that the “Land of the Leopard” bears the unofficial title of the most “feline” territory of Russia for a reason.
The real miracle happened New Year: the leopardess Killy, who was shot down on the seaside road, was noted on the camera traps. The predator, considered dead, not only survived, but also looks completely healthy.
The outgoing year was eventful and bright, but there are even more interesting things ahead. We will definitely continue to monitor the life of the only population of the Far Eastern leopard in the wild. We hope that these beautiful cats have become a little closer to you and that you have favorites among the inhabitants of the "Land of the Leopard".
We are very pleased to receive your questions and comments on social networks, and we believe that by talking about Far Eastern leopards and sharing information about them, we are helping to save the rarest cat on the planet.
